Fashion Plates
I don’t know how many people remember the old Fashion plates toys. It was a plastic tray that you could mix and match plates that had raised lines or outfits on girls and then shade over the top and create a fashion to color. It was fun, but limited. You only got so many plates. Though you could make designs floral etc and mix and match the whole outfit or just the tops and bottoms.
Sometimes I wish it was that easy- just pop in a new plate and bam a new outfit. No sizing necessary. No thinking. A different color- a new crayon- it isn’t blue anymore but a deep rich red. Though there is a reason it was so easy… they were dolls and only came in a shapely lean silhouette. Since I am not a shapely shape- it just doesn’t work that way. Plus there is that whole plastic thing.
So how does modern woman do it. If you know- let me know. Oh there are the Trinny and Susanna’s of What Not to Wear Fame - UK and also the Stacey’s of the USA version that are out there to guide you through the myriad of styles. What does an average person do on a limited budget? Seriously- a LIMITED budget meaning some serious creative finance at times.
I need a frugal fashionista. I am one. I want to be stylish, not frumpy. I also don’t want to break my bank. If I could drag my children’s wardrobes in on this venture I would. (They are sometimes less than stylish- yeah they are kids but would be nice for them to look like they didn’t just dive out of the muck.)
Yes I do shop the various thrift stores - sometimes a pain other times a goldmine. Until I get a handle on what is a good ‘look’ for me I’ll keep searching. After all there are only so many ways and places a gunny sack is acceptable these days.
So wish me luck on my forays into fashion. And if you want to help me out a bit donate some more to thrift stores so they become gold mines for me. 
